Topics Related to Opioid Epidemic

Updated NC Dental Opioid Action Plan Includes Strategies to Help Dentists Prevent Misuse of Opioids

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released an updated North Carolina Dental Opioid Action Plan to provide clear steps and solutions for dentists and their staff, patients, families and communities to address the opioid epidemic.

Julian F. Keith ADATC Expanding Outpatient Services to Strengthen Local Response to Opioid Epidemic

People combatting opioid use disorder in Western North Carolina are gaining expanded access to lifesaving outpatient services. Beginning July 1, Julian F. Keith Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center will add additional services to its existing outpatient program. With financial support from and a partnership with Dogwood Health Trust, many individuals who receive inpatient treatment will now gain access to effective, evidence-based Medication Assisted Treatment, housing assistance and outpatient treatment and support services.

NCDHHS Announces Funds to Expand Treatment to Help Those with Opioid Use Disorder, 20 Sites Awarded Grants to Expand Services

People struggling with Opioid Use Disorder will have better access to more treatment options because of funding awarded by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly $16,000,000 across 20 health care centers, treatment clinics and community-based providers will be used across the state to expand evidence-based treatment services, as well as employment, housing and transportation supports through innovative pilot programs to better help treat individuals and support them in their recovery.

NCDHHS Hosts Virtual Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit

North Carolina leaders, including Governor Roy Cooper and Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. will take the virtual stage at the 2021 Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit on May 4-6, 2021. Hundreds of national, state and local community leaders are coming together to discuss the integral role North Carolina’s communities play in prevention and response efforts across the state.

NCDHHS Awarded $35 Million State Opioid Response Grant from SAMHSA

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a $35 million State Opioid Response (SOR) grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These funds will be used to continue the state's efforts to turn the tide on the opioid epidemic by providing treatment and supporting North Carolina's Opioid Action Plan 2.0. Previously, NCDHHS has received a total of $58 million in SOR grants, which to date, has provided more than 14,000 individuals with treatment and recovery services.

North Carolina’s Opioid Response Getting National Attention; State Leaders to Testify at Congressional Hearing

Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health & Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Kody H. Kinsley from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will testify Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. at the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on “A Public Health Emergency: State Efforts to Curb the Opioid Crisis.'

DHHS Announces $2.1 Million to 23 Health Departments to Address the Opioid Crisis

Twenty-three local health departments in North Carolina will receive a share of a $2.1 million award annually for up to three years to implement high-impact, community-level strategies to address the opioid crisis.

Governor Cooper Announces $6.5 Million in Grants for Partnerships to Combat Opioid Epidemic

A new federal grant will help North Carolina partner with local justice systems — including local law enforcement, courts and others — to prevent opioid overdoses and connect people to treatment. Governor Roy Cooper announced today that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was awarded $6.5 million over the next three years by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.

NC Opioid Overdose Deaths Drop for First Time in 5 Years

For the first time in five years the number of unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths among North Carolina residents has fallen.

Governor Cooper Signs the Opioid Response Act and Other Bills Into Law

Today, Governor Roy Cooper signed the House Bill 325, the Opioid Epidemic Response Act, to help increase access to medication assisted treatment and expand harm reduction measures to reduce opioid overdose deaths across the state.